On March 19, dozens of Malian soldiers were killed at a military base in Tarkint in an attack perpetrated by the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).
On the morning of March 19, 2020, several dozen JNIM militants raided the base, arriving from three directions and overwhelming the Malian troops stationed there.[3][4] It was not immediately known which group caused the attack, but on March 21 JNIM claimed responsibility.[5]
Initially, the Malian army reported two dead and ten wounded, but these numbers soon rose to 29 soldiers killed and five wounded.[6] An anonymous Malian military official claimed the death toll was closer to 30.[3] The bodies were taken to Bourem.[3]
There is little information regarding casualties of JNIM. In the statement claiming responsibility, the group claimed to have destroyed or captured stocks of weaponry from the base, corroborated by photos.[4]
Mali
Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
